Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-10-30
Rare Tapestry.

lOIuOu llut5sI
Few Of the acquisitions recently
made for the South kensington Mu
scum are as remarkable for their arts
tic and arcbeolo6 cal interest as a large
tapestry vall-hanging lately purchased
nom the representatives of the late Nj.
Achile Jubnal. 1t measures twCnty-
one cot in length and thirteen feet in
height. and is covered with figures AMI
buildings. Of the former many are
lfe-size. A post Homelic episode IN
the siege o. Troy is the subject OF the
design. On the right we have TrOjans,
on the left Creeks, and III tie centre a
conflict between the two. The OPP
rosing pai des have met in fc al strife.
As Quiutus Smynans. otherwise Quin-
tus Calaber-,he fourth-ceptury Roman
poet and i.nitator OF the Greek cyclic
poets, Arctiuus and Lesches writes:
Load was q q Ella ~ Of n. ms:
Spear aCainBt icar vas shivo cd; nclm with
EclW.
Guc.,,~ c,ashd win buchlcr, while the p'a'n
OF Troy Wa, ~. pied w..h their smoking
blood.
The treatment Of the design is Elem
isb. of the school of Jan Van Eyck.
Qusnt in its perspective. dispropor.
noI ate figures and relative sizes OF
buildings and per Oneges, the design
las fine qualities of draughtsmansh.p,
loldness in conception, and ffankness
IN depicting eciion ard facial express
.iop. TIE colors have considerably
aided. brit what remains of them suf-
fees TO suggest the sumptuOus effect
originally produced N the patterned,
crimson, blre, ard golden fabrics, the
listening armor end flashing iewelry so
ireely employed for ite costumes
Of the figures. In his description
Of this weI.h2uging, published
sCme fifty years ego, the late
n, Jubinal calls attention to the ab-
sence of pluwes from the casques ara
helmets of the warriors rs a mark OF
early fifteenth cer,uy origin. 1t was
not until after the middle of the cen
tury that plumes came into fash oa 10:
kniebtly panoplies, a act which is con-
epjcuously e-empifed by the early
sixteenth. century triumphal tapestries
exhibited near this ore OF the siege OF
Troy. for which NJ. Jubinal clailAs that
architecture, costumes, arms, all de-
note that this monument Of tapestry
weaving dates from the commerce
ment OF the fifteenth century. The
lettering of legerds explaining the sub
iect has even certain characteristics
which belong to the lettering OF the
late fourteenth century. D."
1t is possible that this piece was
woven either at Journal or Arras. IL
is certainly one of the earliest Franco
Flemish or Burgundian tapestries ex-
tant in this country, and is one of Sc
lies depicting episodes in the siege o.
Troy. lis border, possibly but a sim
ple narrow one, has been cut of, and,
although very carefully restored, taere
are many rents in the hanging, to col-
ceal which patches of blue cloth have
been slilfully inserted. This was done
when NJ. Jubinal purchased the tapestry
from the castle of the Cheyalier de Bay
ord. near Grenoble, whe;e it is known
to have been hanging 10 1907. 1t las,
consequently, been called tae Cayard
tapestry. At tie Pa'e's de Justice at
Issoire, not far from Crocodile, similar
tapestries existed some fifty years ago,
bnt at that time they had been shock
ingly maltrea.ed, bits of them bayiug
been cut up for floor coverings. These
have since disappeared. Fortunately,
NJ. Jubinal caused careful and ere dely-
colored copies to be made OF them,
which he published in his well-known
work OF the "Anciennes Tapisseiles
Historiees.'
From the low Latin inscriptions on
tho scrolls, and the names indicating
different percentages. il is easy TO ideuti-
~ the particular episode rendered III
the Bayard tapestry with the accoant
given OF Quintus Smyrn.sas OF tue